Article-feeding apparatus



Aug. 28, 1962 w. M. HENNESSEY ARTICLE-FEEDING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Feb. 23, 1960 I Rm INVENTOR. WI LLIAM MHE/vmzssEx ATTORNEY Aug.28, 1962 w. M. HENNESSEY 3,051,291

ARTICLE-FEEDING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 23, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.ILL [AM MHENNESSEY ZZM QJQLQ AT TORNEY tats This invention relates toarticle-feeding apparatus and particularly to such apparatus for use inmass feeding of small, round, lightweight articles.

Present day electronic systems, particularly computers, use largenumbers of devices which include magnetic cores. Magnetic cores aregenerally very small and very light toroidal bodies of magnetic materialwhich present special problems in mass handling due to their small sizeand effective weightlessness. Many types of apparatus are known forfeeding or transporting articles in mass production operations; however,none of these is completely suitable for handling magnetic cores.

Accordingly, the principles and objects of the present invention aredirected toward the provision of comparatively simple and efficientapparatus for handling large numbers of small magnetic cores or othersmall, round, lightweight articles and feeding or moving them one at atime from one position to another for the purpose of performing someoperation thereon.

Briefly, the apparatus of the invention includes a stationary frame anda horizontally disposed rotatable table which is mounted in operativerelation to the frame. The frame is provided with a channel whichcommunicates with the table and through which articles are fed one at atime from a large supply held on the table. The channel includes anentrance portion which the articles enter as they leave the table andwhich is oriented substantially at right angles to the direction ofmotion of the table as it passes in front of the entrance portion of thechannel. The width of the entrance portion is substantially the same asthe width of the article being fed allowing the article to be fed fromthe table only at substantially right angles to the movement of thearticle on the feed table. With this relationship between the entranceportion of the channel and the table and the articles being fed, thearticles are fed reliably from the rotating table through the channel toan operating position without blocking the entrance portion of thechannel.

The invention is described in greater detail by reference to thedrawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the article-feeding apparatus of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the apparatus of the invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view along the lines 33 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view along the lines 44 in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view along the lines 55 in FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the article-feeding apparatus of theinvention is particularly suited for feeding small diameter toroidalmagnetic cores and includes a frame comprising a first horizontalsupport table 12 which is carried on suitable legs 14 secured thereto inany suitable fashion. A frame member 16, which is generally rectangularin form, is supported horizontally, spaced from the table 12 by supportposts 18 at its four corners. The frame includes upper and lowersurfaces 20 and 22, respectively. The frame member 16 includes acomparatively large-area central cutout portion 24 which provides areservoir area for the cores as they are fed by the apparatus 10. Themajor portion of the cutout area is defined by inc Patented Aug. 28,

the circularly curved concave wall 26 of a comparatively narrow borderportion 28 of the frame 24, and the remainder is defined by a convexlycurved wall 30 of a somewhat wider frame portion 32.

A motor 34 is secured to the lower surface 36 of the table 12 andincludes a drive shaft 38 which extends vertically toward the framemember 16 and is aligned with the center thereof. The shaft 38 issupported by suitable brackets 40 secured to the support posts 18. Acircular rotatable table 42, horizontally oriented, is secured to theupper end of the drive shaft 38 and is mounted closely adjacent to thelower surface 22 of the frame 16 and oriented horizontally and parallelthereto. The rotatable table 42 includes upper and lower surfaces 44-and 46, respectively. The space between the bottom surface of the frameand the top surface of the table is sufiiciently small so that cores 47held on the table cannot pass therethrough and be lost. In thearrangement of parts shown in FIG. 1, the table is adapted to be rotatedin a clockwise direction. Preferably, the rim of the table is chamferedas shown at 4% in FIG. 4 to assist the passage of cores from the tableto a suitable passageway to be described.

An auxiliary core guide member is provided for assisting thecore-feeding operation of the apparatus and includes a support plate 49secured to the top surface 26* of the narrow portion 28 of the frame 16and carrying a curved guide plate 50 which extends radially therefromover the cutout portion 24 of the frame 16 and lies closely adjacent tothe top surface 44 of the table 42. The leading free end 52 of thecurved plate 50 terminates beyond or at the center of the table, and itis oriented so that its convex surface 54 faces the curved wall 26 ofthe frame 16. Thus, the guide plate 50 is oriented so that, as the tablerotates, cores bear against the convex surface thereof and are moved tothe peripheral wall 26 of the cutout portion. The space between the wall26 of the frame 16 and the inner end 55 of the guide plate 50 definesthe passageway through which cores pass as they are moved outwardlytoward the wall 26.

The wider portion 32 of the frame 16 is provided with core-feeding meanscomprising a channel 58 through which cores 47 are fed from the table toan adjacent operating position. .The channel 58 includes an entranceportion 60 which faces and is in operative relation with the table, anexit portion 62, and an intermediate connecting portion 64. The channel58 is no wider than necessary to allow cores to flow freely through itone after the other. The entrance portion 60 is of substantially thesame width as the channel 58 and preferably is of exactly the same widthas the channel. The space above the channel 58 may be open, or it may becovered completely or in part by a removable cover member 65. Accordingto the invention, the longitudinal axis of the entrance portion 65)which opens to the rotating table 42 is oriented substantially at rightangle to the direction of flow of cores past the entrance portion due torotation of the table. In other words, the longitudinal axis of theentrance portion is substantially orthagonal to the direction ofmovement of the portion of the table which passes in front of theentrance portion. For convenience in utilizing space, the connectingportion 64 is oriented at an angle to the entrance portion, and the exitportion 62, similarly, is oriented at an angle to the connectingportion. The exit portion is connected in any suitable fashion, forexample by means of a conduit 66, to the next operating position.

Referring again to the auxiliary guide plate 59, preferably, the innerend 55 thereof is located at a greater radial distance from the centerof the table 42 than the entrance portion 60 of the channel 58. Thisarrangement insures that all cores are driven outwardly beyond theentrance spa 1,

to the channel 58, and each is thus caused to approach the channel 58 atan angle suitable to permit entry.

The Wider portion 32 of the frame 16 is also provided with. a pluralityof channels 67 (FIG. 3) which provide communication between the table 42and a cutout area 68 in the frame 12. The slots are orientedtransversely to the wall 30 of the frame 12 from which they originateand are too small to receive cores, but are large enough to receivebroken core pieces, dirt, or other undesired refuse. With respect to thedirection of rotation of the table 42 and thedirection of movement ofthe cores, the channels 67 are located ahead of the channel 58 forfeeding the cores themselves from the table. A similar cutout portion 70is provided on the opposite side of the channel 58 for the purpose ofreceiving particles of dirt and the like.

In operation of the apparatus of the invention, a large quantity ofcores 47 is fed haphazardly onto the rotating table 42. As the tablerotates, the guide plate 50 tends to push the cores outwardly againstthe curved Wall 26 of the cutout portion 24 of the frame 16. As thecores are moved along by the rotating table, broken core pieces and thelike enter the channels 67 and are removed. The cores which are incontact with the 'wall and reach the entrance portion 60 of the channel58 are driven accurately and rapidly into the entrance portion and alongthe channel to the conduit 66. The charnfered rim of the tablepromotesthe downward passage of the cores into the conduit 66.

It has been found that the orientation of the entrance portion 60 of thechannel 58 at a right angle to the direction of movement of the cores 47provides accurate feeding of the cores from the feed table through thechannel to the next operating position. This feeding is accomplishedsubstantially Without blockage of the entrance to the channel by thecores. In addition, it has been found that the novel arrangement of theentrance to the feed channel speeds up the movement of the cores as theyleave the feed table and enter the channel. Thus, an overall increase inthe speed of core processing is achieved.

It is apparent that applicants article-feeding apparatus will handledisks, spheres, oblate spheroids and similar round, lightweight articleswith the same speed and avoidance of jamming as toroidal magnetic cores.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for feeding small, lightweight, substantially roundarticles comprising a frame member having a central cutout area, arotatable table positioned beneath said frame and accessible throughsaid cutout area, and

7 a channel in said frame providing a path for feeding said ReferencesCited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,437,721 BarganzI Mar. 16, 1948 2,629,481 Stover Feb. 24, 1953 2,642,173 Wehmiller June16, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 590,775 Germany Jan. 10, 1934

